A new retrial date
is on the calendar.

The Stricker Street case remains an active criminal matter and a painful part of Baltimore’s fire-service record.

Published November 7, 2026Retrial scheduled February 22, 2027

Official memorial image: Baltimore City Fire Department · Used with credit under the project’s approved source-photo policy

Case status: Charges are allegations. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Copeland has scheduled James Barnett’s retrial for February 22, 2027, with ten days reserved. WBAL-TV and CBS Baltimore reported the new date on November 6 after the first trial ended without a unanimous verdict.

A calendar date does not settle the case, and it does not lessen the weight carried by the families, the department, and everyone who remembers Lieutenant Paul Butrim, Lieutenant Kelsey Sadler, and Firefighter/Paramedic Kenneth Lacayo. We will keep this as a measured court update, follow verified reporting, and avoid guessing about what comes next.